Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Romanian mythology. This mythological personage is represented as a beautiful good-natured princess. Unlike in most fairy tales, where the princess is blonde, Ileana Cosânzeana is usually a brunette. In Romanian folklore, Ileana is the original concept of feminine beauty, the most beautiful amongst the fairies: her eyes look like the sun, her body is like the sea and her garments are made of flowers. Pearls and gold flow out of her mouth when she sings. Ileana Cosânzeana signifies the most poetic imagination of Romanian genius. She impersonates the beauty, the youth, and the angelic soul, in one word the perfection of humanity. She is a mythical character with supernatural powers and with symbolic features. Ileana Cosânzeana succeeds in defeating the evil forces only because she is very brave, smart, modest and diligent. In some tales "Ileana Cosânzeana" was the fairy of flowers spring, a fairy that puts the perfume into every flower, but she has the facility to take it back. The elves love her, as do the flowers; even the wind loves Ileana, but he can never catch her. In the myth, she is a beautiful princess

Princess

Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....

 who is kidnapped by the Zmeu

Zmeu

The Zmeu is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Sometimes compared to other fantastic creatures, such as the balaur or the vârcolac, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has clear anthropomorphic traits: it is humanoid and has legs, arms, the ability...

, who locks her in his castle and waits for her to give in to his marriage proposal. She is saved by Făt-Frumos

Fat-Frumos

Făt-Frumos is a knight hero in Romanian folklore, usually present in fairy tales....

, who is analogous to Prince Charming

Prince Charming

Prince Charming is a stock character who appears in a number of fairy tales. He is the prince who comes to rescue of the damsel in distress, and stereotypically, must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell...

. Făt-Frumos is tested by many trials as he makes his way to Ileana Cosânzeana. Finally, he fights the Zmeu, beats him, and frees Ileana Cosânzeana. They both live happily ever after.